


Potential

by Iron_Daddy



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Avenger Daredevil, Avenger Deadpool, Avenger Loki (Marvel), Avenger Shuri, Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, BAMF Harley Keener, BAMF Peter Parker, Deadpool being Deadpool, EVERYONE IS DEAD INCLUDING ME :'), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Harley Keener is Ironman, Harley Keener is a little shit, Hurt Peter Parker, Irondad, LITERALLY PLS THIS IS BIG SPOILERS, Loki (Marvel) Lives, M/M, More tags to be added, Natasha Romanov is dead, Nightmares, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker has PTSD, Peter Parker is a Little Shit, Peter Parker is a Mess, Peter and Harley are Tony's kids fite me, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, STOP READING IF YOU AINT ENDGAMED, TONY JUST LOWKEY ADOPTS CHILDREN ALL OVER, TONYS SONS DESERVE HAPPINESS, The fact I typed that makes me wanna die, spiderson, tony stark is dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-02-18 12:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18699709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iron_Daddy/pseuds/Iron_Daddy
Summary: ENDGAME SPOILERSSCREAMS DON'T LOOKSCROLL SCROLL SCROLL---Tony Stark is dead. There was no changing that. But it didn't mean Ironman was.In which Harley Keener is left the rights to Ironman after Tony's demise and takes it upon himself to continue the legacy Tony started.Meanwhile Peter isn't remotely okay and seeing someone else as Ironman really fucking hurts.-AKA: Harley becomes Ironman, Peter needs a big hug and somewhere along the way, the two get to know one another.





	Potential

**Author's Note:**

> Track: Samuel(사무엘) - ONE 
> 
> honestly this fic is a mess  
> i started writing it and was like yh bitch this shit is good  
> and then i realized  
> shit  
> where do i even wanna go with this?  
> i have no direction except i want harley and peter to make friends and have a gay awakening bc parley is my shit  
> i also like harley as ironman bc yh  
> also peter as sufferingboi.png bc i like to angstify my child and make him suffer so yh

The guy had been there that day, at the funeral. Peter wasn’t sure who he was, but knew he was there for the same reason as all of them. Sure, he might not be some famous hero, but he’d obviously been a part of Tony’s life and that was that.

 

The face gained a name a short time later.

 

**Harley Keener.**

 

Peter wasn’t sure what to make of the boy, barely 18, who’d been listen in the Will of Tony as the sole owner of anything and everything Ironman related, the suits, the tech, everything.

 

The majority of everything else had gone to his family, a family Peter had missed out on, the wedding, the birth of Morgan, he’d missed the essential parts of his sort-of-family.

 

Peter hadn’t gone without, not that it made him happy or anything, he’d rather have Tony back over any of the money. Nothing would equate to the man.

 

A substantial college fund, and a minor portion of the Stark Wealth that meant he’d never have to work a day in his life if he wanted, even a small percentage of the company, hell he even owned the rubble that used to be the Compound, but it wasn’t what he wanted.

 

Peter just _wanted Tony back._

 

It probably hurt way more than he expected, the first time he saw the Ironman suit zip over his head, landing to assist Spider Man's fight against some giant mole rat alien..thing? Peter didn’t know, all he knew was he was struggling to stop the giant monster while police forces did their best to evacuate the surroundings.

 

It hurt. Because for a split second it was almost as if Peter had forgotten and Tony was back.

 

He wasn’t, of course, it was Harley Keeners chirpy voice that greeted him.

 

“Need a hand, Webhead?” He asked, cheekily, firing a couple of shots at the rat-thing’s face before taking into flight again, round and round the creatures head to disorientate and confuse the raging being.

 

Peter took a second to collect himself.

 

This was how things were now, Tony Stark might have been Ironman but Ironman wasn’t Tony Stark. Anyone idiot could wear the suit. Tony... he’d been a hero even without his, to Peter at least.

 

Peter finally moved though, webbing at the creatures feet, attempting to tie the two together, so the thing would trip.

 

Harley fired a couple more shots, making the beast wail a furious screech, short claw-paw..thingies? Swatting at the Ironman suit.

 

“Look out-” Peter yelped, spider sense flaring as the rat managed to clip one of the legs, thruster cutting out for a second before kick starting again. It didn’t stop Harley from giving a short yip of fear and a loss of concentration which gave the creature another opening.

 

The suit sailed to the concrete with a thud after another powerful swing.

 

Peter felt his heart in his mouth at the sight of the suit crumpled on the sidewalk and suddenly he was back in the hell of the battle, explosions left, right and center blaring with his enhanced senses, everything was too much, he was utterly terrified, curled in a ball in the hopes of keeping the gauntlet safe.

 

If he’d known it’d have later claimed Tony’s life, he’d have never have given it to Carol. He’d have kept it and never let go, hell, he’d have worn it himself instead.

 

He’d only just gotten back, from his endless travels under the orange skies nobody else seemed to remember, and he had to face the loss of a 3rd father figure. Powerless to stop it. Right in front of his eyes.  

 

It hurt.

 

_So much._

 

Peter didn’t realize he’d frozen in his panicked flashback, and so the rat got a swat on him too, sending him sailing into the side of a building, glass shattering on impact, digging into the back of his suit. Pain flared.

 

“Geez- ouch?”

 

Peter didn’t stop though, the neighborhood needed him, after all, he was the friendly neighborhood Spiderman for a reason.

 

Firing another web, he took back to the air, firing a few more webs around the hind legs of the beast, and a couple more at the face of the being, attempting to hinder its eyesight.

 

“Hey- are you okay?” He gave a shout at the motionless suit because he wasn’t really in a position to go and check, but he wasn’t heartless- Tony had obviously trusted the guy so Peter had to trust Tony’s final wishes.

 

A groan from the suit and the eye-lights restoring had Peter give a small smile.

 

“Sleeping on the job? Woah-” Peter sassed and he could practically hear the guys eye roll from way up in the air. His quip was cut short as the rat gave another shriek, Peters enhanced hearing suffering. He let out a muffled sound of pain, grimacing under the suit.

 

“Karen could you perhaps decrease input? Dim things, and the volume?” Peter asked, unsure if the suit had such a feature or not.

 

“Of Course, Peter.”

 

Peter had never been so grateful to see his vision darken significantly, and for the surrounding blare of the city, the sirens, the screams, the crashes and bangs and the monsters own sounds of anger, for them all to just diminish to nothing but a whisper.

 

“Oh that’s better!” Peter gave a little smile under the suit and went back to his assault against the destructive monster, glad to see the Ironman suit launch back into the air to assist.

 

“You go for the feet, I’ll distract him up top, Webby.” Harley suggested and Peter begrudgingly agreed because they’d need teamwork.

 

It took little effort after a combined attack from the two heros, and the rat was down for the count, caught in a mess of webs, patches of fur scorching from the repulsors of the ironman suit, and knocked into an unconscious state.  

 

Harley landed beside Peter.

 

The issue was that Harley didn’t actually know who Spiderman was, and Peter only knew Harley had gotten the suit rights through Happy’s slip of the tongue. Technically Peter shouldn’t know.

 

“Um.. thanks…” Peter trailed because if Harley was keeping his identity a secret, much like Peter, then he was hardly going to throw it out there.

 

“No worries Webster. Thank you too.. I guess.”

 

A metal hand was held out, which Peter shook hesitantly, fingers curling a little too tight around the red and gold.

 

When Harley tried to eventually tug his hand back from the shake, Peter took a second to realize he was clutching tightly, before stammering and letting go.

 

“Oh my God I’m so sorry I just- oh my God-” He stuttered, blushing under the suit.

 

“Hey… don’t worry. It’s.. I miss him too.” Harley spoke, voice soft even through the suit.

 

Peter just nodded dumbly. At least Harley had waited nearly six months. Peter was sure if it had been just days, weeks, after the funeral, that he saw the suit airborne, he’d have just-

 

Well he wasn’t sure what, but it probably included a breakdown of tears.

 

“Let’s um- Let’s get out of here-” Harley suggested through the awkward silence and Peter gave another nod, web instantly releasing to the closest building, hoisting himself into the air. The low rumble of the suit let Peter know Harley was following.

 

Honestly it felt weird to be swinging side by side with Ironman.

 

Wrong. So very wrong.

 

Peter was a tiny bit glad when he finally parted ways from the other, and back to the safety of the empty apartment, May was at work. Peter had tried to tell her she didn't need to, that honestly she could take it easy, that he could literally buy the entire block of apartments and not make a dent in his funds, that they’d never need pay rent again. But alas, she wanted to continue to work, because she was a good soul and Peter knew he was incredibly lucky to still have someone like May through everything.

 

But anyway, upon shedding off the spider suit, Peter flopped down onto the bed and yanked out his phone. Tony had upgraded him to a Stark phone a few months before… before everyone was dusted. The phone was probably nearly 6 years out of date now, but Peter couldn’t bare to get a new one. It was one of the last things he’d gained. The Iron Spider suit being amongst that list, however the suit was locked safely back in the newly rebuilt compound and hadn’t been touched since the day of everyone's return.

 

The remaining Avengers were few and far between. Hawkeye had officially quit, to spend more time with his family after the whole ordeal, and his grief over Nat that Peter was sure the archer would never get over. Hulk had been retired too, the extensive damage to his arm had him pretty much incapacitated, and while his brain was still an asset, his fighting ability equalled to little when a single attack to his injured arm could fell him from pain. Bucky and Sam still helped out in the bigger emergencies, which Peter was thankful, but he’d never really spent any time around them except Germany, so it was awkward and Peter had mostly just avoided them since the end of Thanos. Rhodey had retired, he was getting older, and honestly Peter didn’t blame him, he’d lost his best friend less than a year ago, he needed a break. Scott had given up his role too, having missed out on five years of his daughter's life- he had his priorities, Peter supposed. Thor had gone back to Space as had Captain Marvel. Peter shuddered. He never wanted to go to Space again if he could help it. Wanda and T’challa were technically still part of the team but both had left the country soon after the funeral. Peter had no idea where Wanda had gone but T’challa had returned home. And well Cap...

 

So that literally left Bucky, Sam and Peter. Harley too, if he counted. Strange too maybe? He popped up sometimes?

 

Since Peter technically held the Compound under his power, he supposed it made him the new leader of the fraction of Avengers that remained. Honestly in another version of reality, Peter was sure the title, the group, anything and everything to do with the once proud team would have been disassembled, but Peter wanted to keep the name strong, in honour of Nat and Tony and everyone else that had suffered.

 

Since Peter was the pseudo-leader now, he hadn’t gone without his own contacts over the near 4 years of being Spiderman now.

 

Johnny Storm agreed instantly to offer help when needed, even if he was part of the four.

 

Daredevil from Hell's Kitchen owed Peter a favour so he too had begrudgingly agreed if there was ever a grand time of need, he’d aid.

 

Deadpool didn’t even need to be asked, he’d just offered right off the bat, which Peter supposed was to be expected since the ex-merc seemed to gravitate towards the webslinger whenever he was on patrol.

 

Brunnhilde had offered her hand, and the forces of New Asgard if he ever needed.

 

Peter had met Shuri after Thanos and the two were pretty good friends, and so she too had offered a hand, alongside the Wakandan warriors.

 

The person who surprised Peter most though was Loki.

 

By all accounts the God was dead at the hands of Thanos but nope, he’d arrived on Earth shortly after Thor’s departure, and Peter didn’t have the heart to turn away the individual even after all he’d done, because that’s just the kind of person Peter was.

 

So Loki had residence in the Compound and Peter had grown closer to the trickster to the point he’d trust him and equally Loki didn’t seem bothered if he had to help Peter out in the future, when Peter had brought up the point.

 

So, sure, the Avengers were patchwork at best, but it was there.

 

_@Sk1234IM_

_‘I swear to God I just saw Ironman fly past my house. Am I dead?’_

 

Peter rolled his eyes at the tweet, accompanied by a blurry video with high squeals accompanying it.

 

_@Hopstermcnug12_

_‘Woah holy shit dude did someone steal the suit? So disRESPECTFUL DOOD’_

 

And twitter proceed to blow up, and from there, the internet, in the space of a day.

 

Crappy articles littered the web.

 

**‘NEW IRONMAN: Who is the man in the suit?’**

 

**‘Tony Stark faked his death?’**

 

**‘Secret Son? Stark Theories after Ironman sighting.’**

 

Peter slung his phone back on his desk.

 

He couldn't face all this right now.

 

 _'Dude what's going on?'_ Ned texted.

 

Peter ignored it, curled up and ended up taking a nap he didn't know he needed.

 

_Why did everything good in his life never last?_

 

**Author's Note:**

> wow this is literally cryd now i think about it
> 
> also like daredevil?? defenders who?? im literally just erasing 90% of daredevil plot and we're just gonna yeet that this is early season 2 daredevil before he makes 'friends' and shit-
> 
> also doesn't loki literally become an avenger? i swear i read somewhere he's part of some sort of young avengers thingy? idek any extra loki content is greatly appreciated im so gay for loki.
> 
> also i cant write in character or write enticing so sue me.
> 
> this is prolly gonna be updated on Saturdays maybe? 
> 
> peace for now
> 
> My discord server yall can join if you want
> 
> https://discord.gg/zpKNR7B


End file.
